Tomorrow's District Council elections are being framed in some quarters as a gargantuan battle between the resurgent forces of democracy and the mighty Beijing United Front electoral machine, a chance to strike a blow against the powerful empire that is crushing Hong Kong. Well, guess what, most District Council work is pretty humdrum stuff, more concerned with where rubbish bins and bus stops should be located than with the higher scheme of things. Nevertheless, after months of violent protest the election does present a rare opportunity to raise one's voice peacefully against the DAB juggernaut and to demonstrate the Hong Kong government's near-total lack of support (as an aside, there is no silent majority supporting this clueless government - in fact, any politician anywhere who claims the backing of a silent majority usually lacks much real support).
What may surprise my regular readers is that I have decided, after much reflection, not to vote for the candidate of the democracy movement in my district. Our constituency is largely rural, with a mix of traditional villages and upmarket estates, and has been represented for two terms now by a local man who is popular in the area. As an indigenous villager, he has some connections with the Heung Yee Kuk, but his political stance is genuinely independent. More importantly, he has done a good job for the district - I base this not just on his glossy election brochure listing the many projects he has been involvesd in (as Mary Melville's comments
here point out, some candidates will claim credit for just about anything that happens in their district, or even in neighbouring districts), but on experience. My wife worked with him on a successful campaign against an unsuitable proposed development in the district, and has observed at first hand the effort he puts in.
Nothing against the "official" democracy candidate, who comes with the backing of various well-known pro-democracy figures, but he has no track record here (and his election leaflet misspells the constituency name; not a great confidence-booster!) And ultimately, why do we want a more democratic system? Not to make great gestures with our votes, but to select candidates who are dedicated to their job, care about their constituency, and who listen to and are responsive to their voters' needs and wishes. We have that already in our constituency, which is why the incumbent will be getting my vote again. Tell me if I'm wrong.
And by the way, don't worry if your ballot paper has a corner snipped off - it's not damaged, just a
new feature to help the blind.
